MASTDOG of the month – July 2018!

We hope you had a happy and safe Independence Day! We interviewed a very special pup as Dog of the Month for July. He’s very patriotic. He is MAST’s Top Dog, The Leader of the Pack, The Captain, The Chief, The Skipper, the one, the only, MASON!

What breed are you? Lab mix

How old are you? Just turned 4 on June 29th

How long have you been a therapy dog? Since I was 1 year old, I certified with TDI first

What made you want to become a therapy dog? My dad made me, but it’s the best thing I’ve ever done.

How long did it take you to become certified? 3 weeks, and then dad put me through advanced classes.

What is your favorite part about being a therapy dog? I love to see my friends and their families, and I get to go everywhere because my dad is doing this all the time.

What is the biggest surprise you’ve had while being a therapy dog? How big the program has gotten and how many people love to see us.

What is your favorite toy? My brother Liberty.

What is your favorite treat? I love my Rawhide bones.

What is your favorite spot to be pet? My belly!! And behind my ears too!

Do you have any favorite music? Country – southern rock. Not regular country-country, the stuff that’s more rock than country. Nothing about a guy losing his farm, then losing his wife and dog. Much more upbeat. More like, the guy gets a dog, his wife comes home, and he keeps the farm!

What does a therapy dog do, in your own words? Besides making people happy, I am not sure. My dad said I am the boss-dog, but nobody listens to me. Especially my brother Liberty.

What type of dog makes a good candidate for therapy dog work? One that puts a smile on people’s faces and other dogs faces!

What kind of training should a therapy dog get? 10-week course makes the best therapy dog-originally it was 3 weeks, but that’s changed.

How much time do you spend being a therapy dog each month? I don’t know how to tell time, but my dad is always taking me somewhere.

What is one suggestion you would to make to someone considering becoming a therapy dog team? Don’t do it unless you want to have a lot of fun!

What can a therapy dog teach us about being good citizens? If you are nice to others, others will be nice to you.

Thank you for your time today Mason. We know all your fans will love to read all about you. We have witnessed first-hand how much joy you bring to others when you visit places like IL Masonic Hospital and Capt. James A. Lovell Federal Healthcare Center, Shriners Children’s Hospital Chicago and many others. Mason is also the master of agility, he can climb anything, and catch everything–which helps when he plays catch with patients in physical therapy! Everyone seems to know your name and that’s because of the sheer happiness you bring everywhere you go. Thank you for what you do Mason!

And if you are interested in volunteering with MAST, please check out this page for more info!

Meta

*The service dog is first owned by M.A.S.T. until the dog transitions ownership, at that time all future costs/fees become the new owner’s responsibility. M.A.S.T covers the rescue, training and boarding/healthcare while the dog is in M.A.S.T.’s care.